Blood Red Christmas
by crystal tears
Summary: It's after Endless Waltz and only a few weeks before Christmas. There's something in the air and it's NOT love. Relena's awfully worried about it and finally asks the boys to help. What's going on? Why does everything smell so suspciously of trouble?
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
Um.....this is a story I'm experimenting with, but I'm not sure if I should continue. It's set after Endless Waltz, but in order to make it work, I had to change a few things around. However, I won't list them all since I probably can't catch them all anyways. But biggest change...TREIZE IS NOT DEAD.  
  
But just a bit of background. It's almost a year after Endless Waltz, and Duo, Heero, and Quatre haven't seen Trowa and Wufei in awhile. I can't say anymore cuz I don't wanna give away anything.  
  
Note: I'm like a monster that feeds off of reviews...the more I get, the more I write. 


	2. Chapter 1

Duo looked up from his newspaper as he heard Heero walk in and grinned. "You sure slept in today," he remarked cheerfully. Heero looked at him coldly before he walked over to the table and set down his laptop heavily in front of Duo. His more-then-usual stony personality was starting to make Duo slightly wary. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
Instead of answering, Heero opened his laptop so that the gray screen stared at the two of them. "Take a look at this." He double clicked and opened a file - a saved email message that was titled 'Emergency'. Duo scanned the information and shrugged when he finished.  
  
"So what? It's almost Christmas; Relena probably just needs help decorating her house or something. I mean seriously, her mansion is even bigger than Quatre's, and who knows how many people it'll take to add all the finishing touches in time for the ball." Duo grinned again. "Besides, how am I supposed to know that you don't only want to go to see Relena?"   
  
Heero glared at him before replying. "It was sent with her alert address." That immediately wiped the grin off of Duo's face, and it was replaced by a more serious expression.   
  
"I'm going to check with Trowa. If he got it too, then we'll go right away."   
  
~*~*~  
  
The phone rang, vibrating with its urgent message. Trowa strode into the room and picked up the receiver before it could push itself onto the floor. "Hello?"  
  
"Trowa, this is Heero." The voice on the other end was a monotone, just like Trowa had always remembered it. "I need to ask you…"  
  
He was cut off and replaced by a more hyperactive-sounding person. "Trowa? Hey, this is Duo. Didja get an email from Relena?" Trowa's eyes narrowed. So he wasn't the only one who'd received it.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Are you going?"  
  
"Wufei and I were just leaving when you called."  
  
"Oh, okay. I guess we'll see you there then." There was a click and a buzz as Duo hung up, and then Trowa was gone.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"So you were right." Duo bit his lip. "I wonder what's wrong…"  
  
Heero grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair and shrugged it on. "Let's go. It's the quickest way to find out." He pulled out an extra set of keys to the truck and started towards the garage when Duo stopped him.  
  
"I thought you didn't have your license yet…" he said, worried.  
  
"We're not going to get pulled over."  
  
Duo shook his head so that his braid sort of swayed. "It's not getting pulled over that I'm worried about. I just think I'm kind of too young to die." Heero looked at him in exasperation. "What?" Duo asked. "I have every right to want to live life to the fullest. Besides, I bet I'm not the only person who doesn't want to get in a car with some guy with no license."   
  
"You've driven before," Heero pointed out, and as he realized the truth behind that statement, Duo relented.   
  
"Fine. Let's go."  
  
~*~*~  
  
A few minutes later, Heero turned up the driveway to Relena's mansion. A new structure that resembled a tollbooth had been erected halfway up the drive, and the truck screeched to a stop inches before the orange striped bar. A man wearing a blue uniform nodded to the two occupants of the truck. "Please show your ID," he said.  
  
Duo looked bewildered. "ID? When did you need an ID to see Relena?"   
  
The guard looked at the American and raised an eyebrow. "Queen Relena, you mean."  
  
He stifled a laugh, disguising it as a cough. "When did she suddenly insist on being called Queen Relena?" Heero turned his head and glared at Duo, who quieted down.  
  
"We don't have an ID," he stated flatly. "We've never been required to show one."  
  
Duo nodded, agreeing emphatically. "Exactly what he said. Besides, Queen Relena was the one who told us to come." Then, as if though right on que, the com next to the guard's shoulder beeped and blinked red.   
  
Relena's voice came through, slightly blurred but still recognizable. "Duo, is that you?"  
  
"Yup, that's m'name." Duo smirked at the guard. 'I told you so,' his look seemed to say.  
  
"Ahmad, let them in. I called them over, and I apologize for not having told you earlier." She was still ever gracious and mannered.   
  
Ahmad the guard bowed stiffly to the com, and Duo snickered. "Of course, Queen Relena. I'll let them in immediately." Then, as the com clicked off, he pressed a button to raise the bar. "Have a good day, sirs," he said as the truck drove off.  
  
Duo twisted around in his seat and waved at the guard, who was busy lowering the bar. He turned back and grinned. "He called me a sir," he observed, sounding quit self-respecting. "I think I'm starting to like this place a little bit more now."  
  
Heero decided not to reply.  
  
  
  
ames: So.....what didja think? Good? Bad? I need to know how I'm doing~!!!!!!! 


	3. Chapter 2

As soon as Heero parked the truck, Duo was out the door and bounding across the lawn, where he could just spot Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei. The five ex-pilots hadn't gotten together for a few months, and Duo, being the most gregarious of them all, was anxious to talk to the latter two again.   
  
When he saw Duo, Quatre was about to call out a warning to Wufei when the American pounced. Wufei whirled around as he felt hands on his shoulders, ready to attack. Duo grinned at his defensive position. "Hey Wu-man!" he greeted happily. "Long time no see!"  
  
Wufei glowered at him. "Don't call me that."  
  
Heero joined the group then and exchanged brief nods of greeting with Trowa and Quatre. Duo looked at them, amused. "After all this time, and all you do is nod…" he said, trailing off. Then he brightened. "Typical, isn't it, Wu-man?"  
  
"I said don't call me that."  
  
Trowa looked over Duo's head at Heero. "Do you know why Relena wanted us to come?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"…" The once-circus-performer looked up at the mansion towering before them. A worried expression flitted across his face, but quickly vanished when he caught Quatre looking at him.   
  
"Do you think something's wrong?" Quatre asked anxiously.  
  
"Nah, it can't be too bad. We fought so many battles before; nothing can be much worse." Duo, who was having a few doubts himself, was determined to put up an optimistic face. Wufei nodded in agreement but didn't look very convinced.   
  
All other conversation was cut of right then because the door was opening with a creak. A finely dressed butler appeared, and the five teenagers were surprised to see someone that wasn't Pagan. Duo was about to ask him about it when Quatre poked him warningly in the side. "You are Mr. Yuy, Maxwell, Barton, Chang, and Winner, I trust?" he asked in a soon-to-be annoying voice. Trowa nodded. "Then please follow me. Queen Relena is ready to see you now." He bowed, sweeping his arm into the room, indicating for them to go in.  
  
As soon as they were all inside, the door closed. The butler straightened up. "Please come with me." He led them down the main hall, where Duo had to be dragged away from a suit of armor, up a magnificent set of stairs, and then down a second hallway. Soon, they stopped in front of an intricately carved set of double doors. "Ms. Relena will see you inside." He opened one of the doors and the five stepped in.   
  
Duo stopped as soon as he was inside, his mouth dropping in awe. "Wow," he breathed. "This is almost as if though we were back in olden days, when they had huge domes and everything."   
  
The room was indeed generously spaced. The ceiling was very high above and was painted with angels flapping feathered wings. The walls were all lined with bookcases. There was one exception though, which was the back wall. A glass door flanked by two French windows occupied that. Directly in front of the sunlight was a couch, where Relena sat.   
  
She looked up when she heard Duo and stood up. "Welcome," she said, smiling.  
  
"You've got a nice place." Duo was still obviously awed.  
  
"Thank you." Then she sobered. "However, I didn't call you over to admire the handiwork of my craftsmen." She indicated towards the various seats around. "Please sit. This may take awhile."  
  
Quatre sat down along with the others then asked, "This is serious, isn't it?"   
  
Relena nodded. "I'm afraid that you'll have to go back into outer space, if they keep this up."  
  
"They?" Trowa's muscles were tensing.  
  
The young queen sighed unhappily and looked at the boys around her. "Terrorists, I suppose you can call them. They call themselves the Second Generation and for the past few months have been causing enough havoc to last for the next century." She rubbed her hands together anxiously. "You've all heard of the oil leak and the fire down near the port, right?" They nodded.  
  
"Well, I have every reason to believe that it wasn't an accident. You see, two months ago, I received a letter enveloped in a black sheet. It said that my allies are holding their men prisoners, and unless I release them immediately, they'll make me sorry for ever even thinking up the peace treaty."   
  
Duo broke in. "Who are the allies?"  
  
"I think they may have been talking about Oz, but I can't be sure."  
  
"Have you asked them?"  
  
"Yes, I've talked to Treize and some others. They all deny having taken any prisoners at all ever since the signing of the treaty."  
  
"…" Trowa looked worried, and the expression on his face was the same as everyone else's.   
  
Relena continued. "The fire isn't the only incident. There have been guards posted at the gate showing up dead, and there's even been a written threat of assassination." Relena took in a deep breath, trying to keep calm. "I need you to find this group and turn them in before they can do anything else. Please. I don't want to broadcast this to the public, not yet. It'll just cause panic." She looked at them imploringly.   
  
Heero nodded. "We'll do it," he answered for all five of them, and Relena looked at them gratefully.   
  
"I knew I could count on you." She was standing up when Wufei stopped her.  
  
"Do you still have the threat and the letter?"  
  
"I was just about to get them for you." She walked over to the red wood desk next to the fireplace and took out two sheets of paper from a drawer. "Here," she said, walking back and handing them to Wufei.  
  
He unfolded the two and read them over, frown lines deepening in his forehead as he finished. Duo, who was looking at it upside down, noticed something. "Hey, they both have signatures written in red." The words Second Generation glared at them boldly from the paper, red against white.   
  
"Everything we've received was signed like that. Noin had it experimented after having read it, and the tests turned up positive for human blood."   
Quatre shuddered. "I don't like the sound of this."  
  
Duo nodded in silent agreement. "Is there any clue at all about who they are?" Trowa asked.  
  
"No, although Mariemaia says that on nights she couldn't sleep, she's seen black-cloaked figures stealing about. She tried to warn Treize once, but he shook it off as childish illusions."  
  
Quatre shook his head. "Mariemaia wouldn't be one to imagine things."  
  
"I know, and that's exactly what I told him. Finally, he dispatched a team to investigate, but they haven't had any results yet. What Milliardo suspects now is that most, if not all of them, have gone back into outer space and traveled to another place." Relena frowned and got up. She looked at her watch.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"Lady Une promised to send me word at noon about the on-goings of the elite team that's been sent out. It's 12 now…"  
  
Just then, the phone on the desk rang and Relena leapt to answer it. "Lady Une… Yes. Yes, of course. Phillipe, was it? I trust you've reported this to Treize already… All right. I'll need to see the sheet before you give it to the lab. Yes, I understand, but I must see it. Good. Of course. Thank you." She cradled the phone in her hands for a few minutes before hanging up.   
  
"What's the matter?" Standing up, Duo walked over to her and peered anxiously at her face.  
  
"The team's just returned and reported that one of their members is now dead." Relena took a long, shuddering breath. "Pinned to his shirt was a letter, also signed like the previous ones."   
  
Quatre shook his head sadly. "This group is proceeding fast…"  
  
"Yes, I know. That's why I need your help."  
  
Then Heero, who'd been thinking, spoke up. "You said something about going into outerspace…"  
  
"Yes. I've also said something about Milliardo's theory." All five boys nodded. "He has reason to say that because there have been similar incidents up in the colonies. Of course, they may just be rumors. I prefer to take it seriously, though."   
  
"So basically, you want us to go chase after them or whatever?" Duo asked. He frowned as Relena nodded. "But what if they decide to go off again in another shuttle?"  
  
"Then we chase after them." Wufei stood up, having decided. "We've fought before. This shouldn't be any worse."  
  
Relena also stood up. "That's where you're wrong. The stakes here are even bigger then when we fought against Oz. Back then, we were fighting for peace. Now, we've got the peace and everyone's trying their best to keep it. This new group Second Generation just might be the bane of our hard work. Don't you realize that this is much more serious?"  
  
Wufei drew back, surprised, then nodded. "I see that you women do indeed have some sense…"  
  
Duo snickered. "He finally realizes that there are actually beings out there greater than him."  
  
The Chinese turned to glare at him and Duo threw his hands up defensively. "A joke, Wufei. A joke."  
  
A soft rustling indicated that Trowa had picked up the two slips of paper, and he examined them. He rubbed a finger across the signatures and smelled it. "What is it?" Quatre asked.  
  
Trowa looked up from the papers. "I thought blood was supposed to turn brown after drying."  
  
Heero nodded. "He's right."  
  
"I… I have no idea. I wasn't thinking about that, apparently." Relena took the first letter from Trowa and looked at it, frowning even deeper. "Maybe I should have the labs retest it."  
  
"It's not necessary." Trowa stood up. "I have to leave now. I've got an appointment to keep." He bowed to Relena. "It's been a pleasure, my Queen."  
  
Relena shook her head. "Don't call me that. You've known me as Relena far too long; don't change. It's bad enough that every servant on the premises insists on calling me that."  
  
"Of course." Then, with a turn, Trowa headed out. Quatre watched as he left, then on a sudden impulse ran after him.   
  
"Quatre…?!" Duo looked at the other three apologetically and then ran out too. There was something that told him Trowa had something else to say, and he wasn't about to miss out on it.   
  
Wufei and Heero looked at each other, shrugged, and then sighed. "I'm sorry," Wufei said. "But it seems that we all have something to keep up with. I must be leaving now too."  
  
Relena reached out a hand to stop them but they were already off. She sighed helplessly, watching as the door shut itself. 'Well, so much for tea…'  
  
  
  
ames: this chapter was much longer. you like? 


End file.
